American Precious Metals
Frequently Asked Questions
Got Questions About Investing in Gold and Silver
We'll help take the confusion out of buying and selling precious metals.
Our prospective clients often have questions about how to go about buying gold and silver. We have included some common question and answers that we thought may be useful to you. As always, if you have additional questions or would like a price quote, please call us at 800-522-4653.
Yes, we are conveniently located at 11801 N Tatum Blvd, Suite 143, Phoenix, AZ 85028. Our office is on the first floor, inside the 2 story office building on the east side of Tatum Blvd, 1/4 mile south of Cactus Rd. See New Office Procedures for walk ins. We advise clients to call ahead to let us know you are coming.
Please read our new minimum purchase policy here.
Cashier’s checks, personal checks and wire transfers. Cashier’s checks must be verifiable. Personal checks are accepted but there is a 5 day product hold. Bank wires are required for large or out of state orders. For in office order pick up, wires must be cleared by our bank for 24 hours before product can be picked up. Credit or debit cards are also accepted for transactions under $10,000 and the credit/debit card must be physically presented. Prices may vary depending on the form of payment used.
No. Though Arizona has a sales tax, precious metals and coins are exempt from it.
Delivery time depends primarily on the form of payment provided and availability of product. It can range from immediate delivery to 5 business days in most cases (shipped orders may take longer). Our most popular items (American Eagles, Krugerrands, Canadian Maple Leafs) are generally available for immediate delivery. If we don’t have what you are looking for in stock, we can typically deliver within 2 or 3 days, with payment received in advance.
Yes, once we have received your payment, your order will be shipped to you by either registered, insured mail with the U.S. Post Office or UPS (also insured). An adult signature will be required for the carrier to deliver. U.S. Post Office deliveries can take 3 to 5 days from the ship date to arrive. UPS orders are typically delivered the next day (overnight).
Yes, we recommend that if you have more than a handful of coins that you call ahead to ensure that someone can set aside the time to carefully go through your collection. Written appraisals on company letterhead can be provided. Fees may apply, see below.
Yes, unless you intend to sell your collection. There is a minimum fee of $50, or $200 per hour for appraisals. If you decide to sell your collection to us at the end of the appraisal, the fee will be waived.
No, and it is not advisable to leave your metals with any dealer for a long period of time. We recommend that you keep your metals with your other valuables in a private vault or home safe. For large holdings, we would recommend a private storage facility or depository. See our Storage Services page for more information.
It is the cash price at a given moment for large quantity metals delivered in New York. It is the basis for determining retail bar and coin prices.
The higher price is not typically a result of the dealer’s markup but rather who produced the product. Government mints tend to charge more than private mints for the same amount of gold or silver. Since it costs more for gold dealers to buy government-minted coins in the marketplace, those costs are passed to the customer. For example, a 1 ounce gold American Eagle coin created by the U.S. Mint will almost always cost more than a 1 ounce gold bar produced by the Australian Perth Mint. Government mints command higher prices because there is a greater sense of security in the marketplace when a product carries their seal of approval.
Buyback prices typically move in tandem with the original purchase premium. In other words, a government-minted coin that initially cost more will tend to fetch a higher price when you want to sell it back to us.
We believe the possibility of government confiscation is about as remote as another 1933 set of circumstances. The dollar/gold redemption policy ended in 1971. There is no restriction currently on dollar creation. The last legal restriction of gold ownership in this country was superseded in January 1975. Many dealers will use this idea of possible future confiscation as a scare tactic to push you into purchasing coins minted prior to 1933 at high premiums above the spot price. Unless you are a coin collector, we always recommend to our customers that they purchase bullion products that trade very closely to the spot price.
For any other questions you have, please give us a call at 800-522-4653 or email us at info@apmaz.com.
Our Location
11801 N. Tatum Blvd. Suite 143
Phoenix, AZ 85028
Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00am-4:00pm